Edge bands have been used in the past in regard to various items of apparel, such as women's undergarments. Typically, the edge band would be sewn to the edge of the garment with one-half of the band being between the garment and the wearer's skin and the other half of the band being exposed and lying on the outer surface of the garment.
In items of feminine intimate apparel, such as brassieres, two elements are of importance, comfort and beauty, with these two elements not being necessarily compatible. For example, lace provides a pleasing element of decoration to the garment but yet lace has inherently a relatively rough surface caused by the intricacy of the design pattern. A fold-over edge band constructed entirely of lace, while it would possess a decorative element, would be quite uncomfortable as the raised lace pattern would tend to chafe against the wearer's skin and cause irritation and marking of the skin. Conventional knitting can create a textile surface which is of more comfort when placed in contact with the wearer's skin; however, conventional knitting produces textiles which would be relatively uninteresting and austere to the observer and would entail a connotation of pure functionality which would not necessarily be in keeping with the tastes of the wearer.
Fold-over bands have been made in the past with a woven construction, with limited design possibilities. Lip elastics have been used as a fold-over edge but without the soft face and unique properties of the present invention.